For the past two weeks, Loki has done a great job creating an intriguing mystery around both the Time Variance Authority and this mysterious Variant, who was revealed to be a female version of Loki last week. In Loki Episode 3, ‘Lamentis,’ it slows things down to have its two Lokis do some walking and talking on a doomed planet.
Mobius (Owen Wilson, Zoolander) and the TVA actually take a complete leave of absence in this episode as it really puts the spotlight on Loki (Tom Hiddleston, The Avengers) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino, Yesterday), the female Loki variant, getting to know each other and searching for a way off the doomed planet of Lamentis-1. Now, there’s been a lot of speculation as to who/what Sylvie really is, but it’s much clearer now. Since she scoffs at the idea of being called Loki and doesn’t really exhibit the same kind of powers, Sylvie is clearly the MCU’s Enchantress. It makes sense given that her key power is to enchant those with a simple touch and make them do her bidding. As shown and explained in this episode, for stronger minds, Sylvie can even create fantasy worlds based on their past experiences to make enslaving their mind a tad easier.
With all of this in mind, Sylvie’s plan also seems a little clearer since she immediately teleports back to the TVA to confront the Timekeepers. She’s obviously going to try to enchant the Timekeepers into doing what she wants, but it seems like a faulty plan. Frankly, if she can’t even enchant someone as mistake-prone and narcissistic as Loki, she’s probably not going to do much better with vastly more powerful beings like the Timekeepers. Nevertheless, she slashes her way through the TVA with Loki hot on her heels, and the two end up being transported to a future, far-away planet named Lamentis-1.
The planet holds no special meaning or connection outside of this episode, or at least that’s what all the research points to, but it does hold a lot of meaning for Loki and Sylvie since there’s a moon heading towards it to destroy the planet and all life on it. The situation worsens when they realize that their transporter is out of juice and are now forced to work together – which ends up being some delightful fun. These two are kind of an “odd couple” pairing with their opposing approaches to situations and distaste for each other. While Loki is more methodical and less physical with their approach to achieving goals, Sylvie is more of a physically dominating force and uses her enchanting powers regardless of how much blood will spill. Apart, they fail in the same ways, but together they could prove to be a deadly combination. It’s what makes them coming together and using their abilities to get on a train towards a potential power source so rewarding, and it leads to more character-driven conversation.
Loki’s journey in this series has been about self-discovery, and it’s great to see that continued in their conversations with Sylvie. The series acknowledges Loki’s open sexuality when the two are talking about romance. Their views on love are distorted and damaged, likening love to a dagger, and it shows how their familial disconnect and struggles to create their own impression outside of being the god of mischief have left them with a heavy heart. Loki even tries to drink their pain away and it’s a sad sight to see. Although, it is great to watch Loki sing an Asgardian bar song with the bar and watch their drunkenness completely foil their plans and get them kicked off the train. Outside of these fun antics and some more Loki character building though, there really isn’t a whole lot to say about this episode.
We don’t learn much more about Sylvie and her overall plan, like if she’s really able to control the Timekeepers. A lot of this episode is just walking and talking across Lamentis-1 with some fun back and forth between Loki and Sylvie that doesn’t bring up anything too substantial or compelling. Frankly, it almost feels like a filler episode, but keeps itself from completely feeling that way with it continuing the great trend this series has had in delivering excellent little twists and cliffhangers.
The first great reveal comes from Sylvie telling Loki that all the TVA workers, including Mobius, are just other Variants that the Timekeepers have made forget about their past lives. It’s definitely a big shock that makes me curious what Mobius was really up to before the TVA besides fantasizing about jet-skis. However, the biggest and most consequential turn this episode takes is in its last moments as it seemingly dooms both Loki and Sylvie by stranding them on Lamentis-1. With their transporter breaking after Loki is thrown from the train, they can now only rely on getting on the ship and changing history with them being able to get it off the planet in time. However, try as they may, the ship is destroyed and they’re truly stuck. It’s such a surprising and sad moment that catches you totally off-guard and the series leaves you questioning what Loki and Sylvie’s fates will be, as well as what’s going to happen with all lose branched timelines that Sylvie created last week.
‘Lamentis’ takes a bit of a break from the TVA to focus on fleshing out Loki and Sylvie’s dynamics and deliver more great twists and cliffhangers. It likely won’t be viewed as the most consequential or riveting episode of the series, but it’s enjoyable because Hiddleston and Di Martino are a lot of fun and perfect as these characters.
Comments are closed.